Toilet seat cover clamp



- Jan. 7, 1964 c. E. SPRINGER 3,116,527

TOILET SEAT COVER CLAMP Filed Feb. 11, 1963 Fly. 4.

IN VEN TOR. I CHARLES E. SPRINGER BY ll /6 g 2/ fiagggg United StatesPatent Ofiice 3,116,527 Patented Jan. 7, 1964 3,116,527 TOILET SEATCOVER CLAMP Charles E. Springer, 2101 W. Burbank Blvd., Burbank, Calif.Filed Feb. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 257,605 4 Claims. (CI. 24-81) Thisinvention relates to a toilet seat cover clamp for preventingunauthorized persons from using toilet seats.

The invention comprises, as a new article of manufac ture, a device forclamping, in their down-swung position, a toilet seat and its cover, itbeing possible to manufacture said device at a low cost mostly fromstock materials.

The device comprises two main parts, a body portion applicable to thefront part of the rim portion of a conventional toilet bowl, and anauxiliary clamping member adjustably attached to said body portion sothat it can exert a clamping action upon a down-swung toilet seat andits cover.

It is an object of the invention to improve upon articles of its classby simplifying structure and reducing cost of manufacture.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention will hereinafterappear.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, illustrative of a preferredreduced to practice embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the complete device in its operativeposition applied to a conventional toilet bowl with its seat and coverin down-swung position, dotted lines outlining portions of said bowl,seat and cover.

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of the device looking from right to left inrelation to (FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the left hand portion of the device asviewed in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-section on line 44 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the structure shown in FIG. 4.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the body portion of the deviceconsists of a rectangularly hook shaped metal strap having a straight,horizontal (when in use) top run 7, downwardly directed rear run 8, anda relatively short downwardly and forwardly directed lower rear run 9.The run 8 is preferably and as shown, connected with the runs above andbelow it by means of short arcuate bends.

At its front end the strap run 7 has a relatively short, downwardlydirected terminal part 11 which is slightly arched away from the toiletbowl and forms a convenient handle usable to draw the device forwardlyto its operative position.

In FIG. 1 broken lines delineate the upper front portion of aconventional toilet bowl 12 having an internal rim flange 13. In thisView the device is shown with its rear hooked portion engaging the backside of said bowl flange 13, rearwardly of which it was placed beforethe device was pulled forwardly to the operative position of its bodyportion.

The front part of the strap run 7 is provided along its mid-width with alongitudinal slot 15, and this portion of the strap has slidably fittedto it a clip or partial sleeve 16 having side flanges 17 which upstandand are somewhat wider than the thickness of the strap run 7. Said clip16 has a central bolt hole which receives a bolt 19 that passes througha bolt hole in the foot portion 20 of a strap iron clamping member 21, anut 22 carried by said 2 bolt clamping the parts together in theiroperative positions. Said foot portion 20 fits closely between theflanges 17 thus, stabilizing, holding the clamping member in itsoperative position.

The clamping strap 21, like the remaining strap portions of the device,is bent in a flatwise manner to the desired shape, and it is socontoured as to fit snugly over the front edge portions of the downswung seat 23 and cover 24 when the device is in the operative position.

The bolt 19 is prefer-ably a screw bolt with a kerf in its head to whicha screwdriver may be applied.

.The user may proceed in difierent ways to place the device in itsoperative position. One way of doing this is, first, with the devicedisconnected from the toilet bowl, adjust its parts in the relation toeach other shown in FIG. 1, except with the clip 16 positioned in anabutting relation to the handle 11. Then, before swinging down the coverand its seat, place the clamping member 21 in its operative relation tothem. Then the seat, cover and abutting device can be swung down to :thelevel shown in FIG. 1. .Then it remains to pull the body portion of thedevice out to the position shown in that view, with the clip loosenedand the clamping member 21 kept into contact with the seat and itscover; and finally, by the use of a wrench and screwdriver tighteningthe nut. It will be seen that, when the device is in its operativeposition, the slotted portion of the strap run 7 extends a substantialdistance beyond the front edge '12 of the associated toilet bowl toensure that the clamping strap may be slid along said slotted portion asufficient distance to release the seat and its cover from the clampedcondition.

While what is deemed to be a preferred embodiment of the invention hasbeen illustrated and described, yet it is to be understood that variouschanges may be made within the purview of the appended claims withoutexceeding the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A device of the kind described comprising a body portion consistingof a rigid strap having an upper portion which extends horizontally anda substantial distance beyond the front edge portion of an associatedtoilet bowl when the device is in its operative position and having ahook portion which at such time fits behind the front portion of theinternal flange of the upper part of a conventional toilet bowl, aclamping strap contoured to fit the front portions of a lowered toiletseat and lowered seat cover, and means adjustably securing said clampingstrap in an overlying slidable relation to the horizontally extendingportion of the first mentioned strap to maintain said seat and cover inlowered position, said securing means comprising a clip slidablyadjustable along said horizontal strap portion and means carried by saidclip both to clamp it against sliding and to secure said clamping strapto it.

2. The subject matter of claim 1, and said clamping strap beingapertured, said horizontal strap portion having through it alongitudinal slot, and said clip being apertured, and a nut-carryingbolt extending through said slot and both the apertures and clamping inadjusted operative position both the clip and the clamping strap.

3. An article of manufacture comprising a substantially rigid straphaving an end portion bent in a flatwise manner thus forming a hookportion to fit behind the front port-ion of the rim flange of aconventional toilet bowl, said strap having through it adjacent to itsopposite end portion a longitudinal slot, a clip slidably mounted uponthe slotted portion of said strap and provided with means securing itthereto in a longitudinally adjustable manner, and a clamping strapsecurable to said clip, said clamping strap being contoured to engageand hold closed a lowered toilet seat and its cover, the securing meansfor said clip extending through said slot, the slotted portion of saidstrap being of a sufiicient length to extend, when the device is in itsoperative position, beyond the front edge of an associated bowl toensure that the clamping strap may he slid therealong far enough torelease the seat and cover clamped thereby.

4. The subject matter of claim 3, and said clip forming a partial sleevearound said strap and having through it 15 a bolt hole alining with saidslot, there also being a bolt hole through said clamping strap, and anut-carrying clamping bolt extending through said slot and bolt holes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,208,860 Smart July 23, 1940 2,404,124 Des Roches July 16, 19463,056,972 Miller Oct. 9, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 613,953 France Sept. 7,1926 978,902 France Nov. 29, 1950 431,131 Great Britain -e of 1935

1. A DEVICE OF THE KIND DESCRIBED COMPRISING A BODY PORTION CONSISTINGOF A RIGID STRAP HAVING AN UPPER PORTION WHICH EXTENDS HORIZONTALLY ANDA SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE BEYOND THE FRONT EDGE PORTION OF AN ASSOCIATEDTOILET BOWL WHEN THE DEVICE IS IN ITS OPERATIVE POSITION AND HAVING AHOOK PORTION WHICH AT SUCH TIME FITS BEHIND THE FRONT PORTION OF THEINTERNAL FLANGE OF THE UPPER PART OF A CONVENTIONAL TOILET BOWL, ACLAMPING STRAP CONTOURED TO FIT THE FRONT PORTIONS OF A LOWERED TOILETSEAT AND LOWERED SEAT COVER, AND MEANS ADJUSTABLY SECURING SAID CLAMPINGSTRAP IN AN OVERLYING SLIDABLE RELATION TO THE HORIZONTALLY EXTENDINGPORTION OF THE FIRST MENTIONED STRAP TO MAINTAIN SAID SEAT AND COVER INLOWERED POSITION, SAID SECURING MEANS COMPRISING A CLIP SLIDABLYADJUSTABLE ALONG SAID HORIZONTAL STRAP PORTION AND MEANS CARRIED BY SAIDCLIP BOTH TO CLAMP IT AGAINST SLIDING AND TO SECURE SAID CLAMPING STRAPTO IT.